Human to Human Business
What I do more specifically:
I help people that have a creative vision or business and want to utilize the internet and technology to move it forward. I manage the tech side, particularly web development, SEO, ecommerce, content management (think blogging / publishing), promotional campaigns, design, multi-media, and connecting them with other resources to propagate the venture onward. I've been neck deep in the web for 15 years, have ran and managed several businesses (online and off), have held high positions in companies, and have consulted to some of the largest organizations in the world. What I love is connecting with and working with people one on one; to take my skills and apply them to your vision. The freedom to do that is my vision and I'm living it.
Joint Ventures
Many of my clients/partners/friends are bootstrapping entrepreneurs, creative types such as artists and musicians, and people with specialized skills that don't have the budget to dump on hiring consultants or employees. We analyze the venture together and determine a win-win relationship and become partners in the business. This model has proven successful for everyone involved and one that I prefer when dealing with highly passionate people.
Fee or Retainer
I also do some projects for a fee or ongoing retainer. The same services apply but at an hourly rate or per project fee calculated based on scope. There are some caveats:
Specific details & full extent of what I can do for you:
Simply put, we'll have to talk about that... My toolbox isn't like a bucket of water but more like a river of constant learning, improving, and utilizing new tools and techniques. To continually update this page with what I do would take more words than you'd care to read and more time than I'd care to dedicate to it. But don't hesitate to ask - I respond to ALL emails - chris(at)cmfi.net.
Most of my clients/partners/friends are artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and people doing cool things and I love working with all of them!
I'm also an accomplished Business Intelligence expert, certified in IBM Cognos. Additionally certified in Security+ and hold a NACLC and SSBI required for Top Secret clearance. (view certs)
Influences:
My work ethic, honesty, and fair treatment of others was instilled into my character by my parents at a young age. Additionally, I've been a student of history and great personalities of the past and present. Many of the concepts and principles in business and life have been influenced by them along with these currently active people. I recommend checking them out to get a feel for my business values:
Seth Godin - I read Seth's blog everyday. Brilliant.
Derek Sivers - Founder of CDBaby.com, principled, personal, common sense entrepreneur.
Jason Fried - Founder of 37Signals, author of the great book Rework.
Richard Branson - You know who Branson is... good business philosophy, great attitude.
Tim Ferriss - Not that I want to work 4-hours a week but that I'm following my muse and enjoying it.
That should be enough to help give you an idea of how I think about business. Creativity, doing stuff that matters, always finding win-win solutions, and living the life I want by helping others live the life they want.
Let's start talking, email me through this contact form or direct message me through Twitter: @chrisfrenchblog or Facebook. I don't post my phone number online (bat phone is reserved for clients, my wife, and grandma) so please start with one of these.
Cheers!
Chris
PS - I am not interested in your project if it entails much of the following:
- Time in a cubicle (outside-the-box thinkers cannot be locked in a box; even Robert Propst called his invention a "monolithic insanity")
- Rigid work hours - i.e. (I'm fast but sometimes I'm fastest at 3am)
- Constant face-time (don't get me wrong, I love face-time, but let's not be needy)
- Micro-managers (I work towards results; if you don't know what to measure then it won't work out)
- Dress code? (I'll do the occasional dog and pony show but let's not be ridiculous - I'm coding here)
My professional life in a nutshell (timeline style)
1976: Born and raised in small town Indiana for the next 18 years. Learned a lot of lessons during that time; built some character. Ventured out.
1995 - 1999: The college years. Started studying math at Purdue but it never "felt" right as I was directed that way byexternal forces. Switched gears began studying biology, chemistry, and psychology at I.U.P.U.I (home of I.U.'s med school - my plans at that time). Volunteered at Riley Hospital for Children and did well enough they employed me to work there and at their other network hospitals and out-patient clinics. Also picked up a personal training gig that evolved into my first business venture.
1999: First "real" job. With one foot in college and one foot in the real-world and succeeding in both; I left college my senior year to pursue an opportunity with a boutique consulting firm focusing on business intelligence, a concept and technology that was intriguing to me. As an account manager learned how to develop the software so I could better understand and sell it. That was my first foray into Cognos BI. Additionally, I bought a book on HTML and learned web programming so I could revamp the company website from a marketing perspective. I found I was better at developing than I was at sales and left the company after a year to start my own web design business. I maintained a great relationship with my former boss, friend, and mentor (comes back later in the story).
2000 - 2004: The wild ride. I ran my web business picking up clients wherever I could. Returned to personal training part-time for cash flow (and it's fun) and started or was partnered in a string of business ventures ranging from high tech to as simple as brick washing. I also began consulting in Cognos Business Intelligence and through my former boss, landed a gig with a up and coming furniture company.
2004 - 2008: Honing my skills. The client loved me so much they eventually coaxed me away from California (a story for another time) and I joined their team and within a year held the top IT role in the company. With $100M in revenue, a million square ft of manufacturing space in two states, and 350 employees spread out across the globe (distributed sales force in many states and offices in Malaysia and China), I had a playground to expand a stretch my skills.
2008 - 2012: The Leap. Since 1999, I never stopped doing my own projects and helping people at every opportunity. Corporate life was kind to me but not in my nature to confined. It was time to get back to creating on a more broad spectrum. I took a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense through a wonderful little consulting building high level BI dashboards for Pentagon executives. With a set expiration date I utilized my spare time to simultaneously plant seeds and nurture my broader ambitions of building my own projects and helping and adding enough value to people to continue to support myself in society. I've developed many solo projects, joint ventures, and built relationships with incredible people.
2012 and beyond: End of the big client. Well, maybe not totally but definitely in a similar fashion. I create best (or at least more happy) mutually with people who share my values and not bureaucracies dictating irrational terms. Putting modesty aside, I have developed a reputation with every person and organization I've worked with as the "go to guy" for out-of-the-box solutions and confidence that I independently handle any request that comes my way. I thrive on honest assessments, keeping my promises, and delivering. So as of March, I am committed totally to adding value in a mutually beneficial way - one where time and space and initiative is more important than just money.
Some stuff I've done and got going on
- Created dozens of client websites back in those early days - some still around, some not.
- Built and lead a magnificent team (as IT Director of $100M company) that implemented many initiatives across the technology and business spectrum.
- Started and sold one offline business.
- Lead the reporting team for delivering BI solutions to high officials within the U.S. DoD.
- Experimented with several personal web properties including some of these still out there:
- Wrote and sell a simple eBook here:
- Blog here:
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New projects going on:
- eCommerce site (not released and still quietly under wraps at the moment). Incredibly talented partner and very exciting prospects.
- Circle City Safety (www.selfdefenseindy.com) is a joint venture project with my Wing Chun Kung Fu Sifu that provides self-defense training in my hometown of Indianapolis.
- www.selfdefenseresources.com is a branch-off that venture to provide valuable resources on a broader scale.
- Helping several bloggers get their feet of the ground.
- Working with a metal band on a website and increasing their exposure.
- Providing SEO techniques to many website owners and friends.
- Working with friend and artist David Pancake (www.davidpancake.com) to create and enhance viable distribution systems for his art business.
- New opportunities are continually coming my way and I'm working with a lot of people with some interesting stuff.
Interesting? Admittedly some of these don't *appear* that interesting on the surface, but helping someone that is passionate move their passion forward is rewarding on many levels. Indeed, I haven't created Amazon or Facebook or Twitter or have the next "big" thing rolling out of my workshop just yet but I'm young, and in a sense, just now coming out of my shell. I'm focused on creating value and living a life congruent with my principles. This webpage isn't the heart and soul of my ventures, it's here to show the random visitor that you can go out and live a life you want; to not be at the whim of somebody else. The heart and soul of my ventures is getting out and working with real people and those interactions keep propelling me forward.
How I choose what to work on...
Hell Yeah!! or No (from Derek Sivers, a guy I like and admire).